


The Adamant Celestials

by ephemeral_daydream



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Aero is a tsundere, Amelena is socially awkward, Arsène is a little shit, Arsène is a weirdo, Calliope is trying her best, Challenging myself to write little mini stories for my D&D group, Family Fluff, Ferris is an idiot, Gen, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Torrel (Arsène's mom) is scary when she's mad, Writer has no idea what he's doing, Writing Exercise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25138993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeral_daydream/pseuds/ephemeral_daydream
Summary: This is just a place to practice my writing skills while also doing something nice for my D&D party. I have no idea what I'm doing. Send help.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. The Man They Called Aero (Aero)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Silent Angel   
> Summary: Aero is a tsundere.

Aero was a simple man. Stay quiet, stay inconspicuous, stay out of the way. It was just the way he learned to live. Forming attachments was, more often than not, a burden that would lead to a significant lack of blood remaining in his body. However, there was something about them that kept him around. 

“They’re good at killing things. That’s all. They’re a tool that I’m using.” He reasoned.

Regardless of his true feelings toward them, Aero couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of guilt seeing them struggle with something. Of course, his pride prevented him from intervening. 

“They’ll think I’ve gone soft,” he scoffed. “Well…what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

And thus, his role as a hidden guardian angel was born. Other party members would wonder what exactly suddenly changed about the damp lantern they were attempting to light, or the tear in their pocket that was suddenly gone.

“Maybe it’s a ghost. Spooky.” He joked.

The others weren’t so sure, but the so-called “Stealthy Angel” seemed benevolent, so who were they to overlook divine protection, even if it was just an elaborate prank. Aero was sure they knew, but chose not to say anything. Fine by him. He had an image to maintain, dammit!

One night, Ferris had fallen out of bed. Not unusual for the dragonborn, he was usually drunk by sundown, and the party had been celebrating a successful job that night. Ever the light sleeper, Aero was quickly awake and scanning the room for danger. Upon seeing the prone drunkard, he quietly let out an exasperated groan, and began stretching. Satisfied that his muscles would not cramp, he got to work on the Herculean task of getting Ferris back into bed. Squatting down and taking a deep breath, he braced himself for the weight of the seven foot tall dragonborn. With a huff, his task was complete, but now he was wide awake. Silently cracking open the window, and using the windowsill as leverage, he leapt up onto the roof. 

“Should’ve just left him on the floor,” he grumbled to himself. “the drunk bastard wouldn’t be able to tell the difference anyway.”

Content with the temperature on the roof, he began to drift off, at least until a thump from below awakened him once again.

“Nope."


	2. Sincerely, Me (Calliope)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Letter to yourself  
> Summary: Calliope writes a letter to herself, past, present, and future.

Dear Me,

To be honest, I think this is kind of dumb, but Arsène insisted it was helpful. So here we go I guess. To past me, I never thought I’d be traveling the world with some strangers I met in a tavern, but then again I guess I never thought I’d run away the day of my marriage. Speaking of which, I guess my grand advice to you is “Don’t trust him”. Don’t let him into your heart, with his honeyed words and sickly sweet lies. Don’t try to rationalize his actions. Don’t let the weight of responsibility for them fall on your shoulders. You deserve to be happy, to not have to worry about where and when the next attack will come. You are not at fault for the actions of others. Cherish your family, you’ll likely not see them for...quite a while to say the least. And when the road seems dark, just remember this. We are born with stardust in our veins and hope in our heart. So walk forward like a breath exhaled from the land, with one goal in sight. You will not be trapped here forever. So hold out for your future self okay? I promise you'll be okay in the end.

To present me, hello! This feels weird. I’m not sure how much I have to say to you, given that you’re me. I guess it’s kind of surreal to think about where you are now huh? My advice for you would have to be “Hold dear to any relationships you have”. I...still miss my family dearly. The party can’t replace that. But...maybe they don’t have to. Maybe you can just enjoy their company. Friendship doesn't have to be complicated. As Arsène is fond of saying, “Family is sometimes not blood, but who you would bleed for”.

To the future me, I hope you’re doing well, given that you’ll be me eventually! I don’t know what sort of person you’ll become, and I don’t know how things will work out for you, but I hope that I’ll travel with the party for a good while. As annoying as it can be sometimes, I’ve really grown attached to them, even if they’re always up to stupid antics. Side note, I pray for your sake that you’ve found a hangover cure that works on a massive 7 foot tall dragonborn, because dear gods was that a close scrape with that owlbear. A lot is uncertain right now. But maybe you’ll have some answers. For now, I’ll just have to take it one day at a time.

-Sincerely, Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have no idea what I'm doing, so constructive criticism is always welcome.


	3. I Know It's Not Easy but You're Not Alone Anymore (Amelena)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Encounter  
> Summary: Amelena encounters a strange man one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is an In Love With a Ghost song, check them out for some relaxing tunes! This one is pretty dialogue heavy and is double the length of the previous chapters (sorry Aero and Calliope!) so that's fun.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

There never was of course, but it couldn’t hurt to be prepared, right? If she was lucky, it would be a friendly wolf looking for affection. If she was unlucky, it would be an angry snake writhing about in the bushes. Isolation was nothing new to Amelena, hell, the only reason she remembered what faces looked like was because of her own reflection in ponds.

So on that fateful day, when a voice finally responded, it was safe to say that Amelena had no idea what to do.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” the voice responded. Panicked, she frantically scaled a tree, snapping branches as she attempted to climb as far away as possible.

“Probably a lost hunter, sounded like they were thrashing around. Should probably stay on guard in case they’re less than friendly. Or maybe they’ll chase a wounded animal towards us, I swear I heard rustling.” the voice continued.

Despite her initial fear, her pride got the best of her, and she leapt from the branches to confront the voice.

“Excuse you! I am not some wild animal!” she spluttered. 

“Wha-  **holy crap** !”

Now that she got closer, she could finally get a good look at the person the voice came from. They were a high elf, with a small patch of crimson scales by their temples and jet-black hair.

“Ah...hello…” she mumbled out, embarrassed. “What’s your name?”

“I could ask you the same question, but I consider myself a gentleman, so I’ll introduce myself first. My name is Arsène Tempest, pleased to make your acquaintance, even if the circumstances are...unconventional.”

“You can call me Amelena Heira. Sorry for spooking you, I haven’t seen another person in...too long. I promise I mean you all no harm.”

“I see. Well, you seem rather lonely, would you care to join us? We’re on our way to investigate some strange happenings and possibly bash some skulls in if you enjoy that sort of thing.”

“Look, I swear I’m not going to hurt you I jus一huh? You...already trust me?”

“Trust is a bit of a strong word. But, if you wanted to attack, you would’ve had the upper hand against us in the first place. Plus, we could use some backup.”

“You’re a strange man Arsène. Alright, I accept your invitation.”

And with that, Amelena’s years of isolation had come to an end. But old habits die hard. She retained her habit of calling out “Hello? Is anyone there?” when entering rooms, she preferred the branches of a tall tree to a bed, and she tended to scramble for cover when strangers entered the room. One particular morning, Arsène had decided to ask her about her quirks.

“Oi, Amelena, got a minute? I’m terribly bored and I’ve got a question.”

Taking a seat across from him at the table, she replied, “Sure, go ahead.”

“Well, I’ve brushed off the sleeping in trees and skittishness around strangers as side effects of living alone for so long. No offense intended, but is there any particular reason you always ask ‘Hello? Is anyone there?’ when you enter a room?” he questioned.

“Ah...I guess I have been doing that huh? How embarrassing. Um...the reason I do that is because I used to practice greeting people before I met you all. It’s silly I know, but I was kind of...okay really lonely in the woods before I started traveling with you all.”

“Why that’s not silly at all! A good first impression is critical to social interaction. That is why I will greet my parent’s murderer with this greeting. ‘Hello. My name is Arsène Tempest. You killed my parents. Prepare to die.”

“Y’know Arsène,” she began. “My first impression of you was that you were a strange man. That opinion has not changed."


	4. Light (Arsène)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Childhood magic  
> Summary: A look at Arsène's history of using magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tooth-rotting, diabetes-inducing levels of fluffy family goodness. This is a special chapter, because Arsène is my own character, and this is a nice break from his admittedly edgy and angsty backstory. Title is a reference to Light by Sleeping at Last, highly recommend, it's a lovely song about becoming a parent that I thought was fitting for the family fluff chapter.

~ _7 years old_ ~

“Mama, look!”

The first time it happened, he only singed a flowerpot, leaving the flower inside unharmed. But Torrel and Aster knew that they would have to prepare to magic-proof the estate, lest the new magic user burn the place to the ground. Still, Torrel was beyond enthusiastic that the young boy had begun to show magical aptitude, it meant promising things for his future. 

“Arsène my dear, come here a moment.”

“Okay Mama!” the 7 year old raced over, and promptly took a seat in his mother’s lap. She began humming softly, and gently twirled her fingers through Arsène’s scruffy curls.

“Remember that you must use your magic to help people, never for yourself. You’re not better than anyone else because you can use magic, you’ve been blessed with it.”

“Don’t worry Mama, I wanna be a hero when I grow up, just like Mama! Mama is the coolest!” Arsène declared dramatically, with his hands on his hips and chest puffed out.

“I don’t know honey, I think Steel the Unbreakable is cooler.” Torrel said with a warm smile. “I stopped adventuring early when I had you and I don’t regret that choice.” she murmured, hugging him tightly.

“Hehe, Mama is silly, no one can be cooler than Mama!” he giggled.

~ _10 years old_ ~

It all started when Arsène learned how to summon a mage hand. Ever the mischievous child, he enjoyed poking and tapping unsuspecting victims until they were sure they had gone mad. At least until his awful poker face revealed itself, and his victim found him in the midst of a laughing fit at their expense. At least, until he involved the “Radiant Flamebringer of the East”, or as he knew her, “Mama”. Quite bored one day, he was passing down the hallway when he noticed his mother in the library, basking in the afternoon sun and seemingly nose-deep in a book. With an impish smile, he quickly summoned his weapon of choice, and prepared to strike. Unfortunately for him, as the magical hand approached Torrel, a second spectral hand seemed to appear out of nowhere, grabbing the would-be prankster’s mage hand, and crushing it out of existence in an instant. 

“Don’t even try it.”

~ _14 years old_ ~

By now, Arsène had become quite proficient in summoning and using a mage hand, much to the chagrin of the staff and servants of the estate, although the boy had mellowed out considerably. However, the spirit of rebellion was still very much alive and kicking, thank you very much. Despite avoiding pranks, he began to use a mage hand for mundane tasks, much to the chagrin of his father.

“Arsène! Stop using mage hands to grab books from the shelves! You’ll grow lazy. Your magic is a powerful tool, not a library trolley!” admonished Aster.

To which the adolescent replied by turning upside down on the armchair and continuing to read lazily in the afternoon sun.

“Don’t make me call your mother in here.”

As if struck by lightning, Arsène sat upright instantly. He knew all too well the sheer terror an angry “Radiant Flamebringer of the East” brought, and shuddered at the thought.

~ _Present Day_ ~

As Arsène summoned the ever familiar spectral hand to disarm a trap, a nostalgic idea struck. With a devilish grin, he snuck behind a bookshelf, and readied himself to strike. 

  
“ **WHAT IN TARNATION?!** ” the rogue shouted with a jolt. Scanning the room, it didn’t take long to find Arsène howling with laughter behind his makeshift cover. “Arsène, I swear to the gods I’m going to put a crossbow bolt between your eyes one day…” the disgruntled rogue grumbled.


	5. Let Your Heart Hold Fast (Calliope)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Never Again  
> Summary: Calliope and Arsène encounter a hurt woman one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is a reference to Let Your Heart Hold Fast by Fort Atlantic. Trigger warning for non-graphic domestic abuse, it's explicitly stated but fairly mild. Still, if you think you'll be triggered by it, please don't read it.

It all started in the marketplace. The party had been running low on supplies, and decided to stop in the city for a restock. For some reason, that day, the commercial district was bustling, alive with people moving to and fro, with little time to spare, it would seem. 

“I suppose splitting up would be a good idea, could cover more ground that way. Ferris and Ted, could you grab us food? Amelena and Aero, we could use some more torches, I think the general store is that way. Calliope and I will look around for other supplies we might need” Arsène said, awkwardly attempting to weave his way through the crowd.

“Judging by the way you’re crashing through people, it’s really obvious that you’re a fancy high society sort of person with no experience outside of your mansion” Calliope laughed.

“Nonsense. I’m perfectly at home here” Arsène declared, promptly slamming into a passing woman with a large red shawl.

“Owww...ah, I’m sorry Miss, I’m unaccustomed to the big cities” Arsène apologized.

“Um...it’s alright…” the young woman murmured, barely audible. 

“Despite what he looks like, my friend here is tougher than his weedy frame appears” Calliope said, stifling a giggle.

“Hey! Well, I guess you’re not wrong…” Arsène grumbled.

“Was that bruise on your arm from the collision? Are you sure you’re alright, Miss...?” Calliope questioned.

“Um… my name is Altyn. Please just let me go, he’ll be angry if I’m late” the woman mumbled, casting her gaze downwards, and dashed off into the crowd. Upon hearing her statement, Calliope’s blood ran cold, but quickly began to boil. Clenching her fists, she turned to Arsène, who was seemingly echoing her sentiment. With a simple nod, they set off into the sea of people, shouting apologies as they pushed and shoved through the herd.

Catching up to the woman proved to be a more difficult task than anticipated, but eventually Arsène and Calliope were able to track her distinctive red shawl, following her into a back alley, away from the crowds.

“Please...just leave me alone…” gasped Altyn, out of breath.

“It’s alright, we’re not going to hurt you. We just have some questions. I promise, we’re going to help, okay?” Calliope spoke gently, as if talking to a wounded animal. “Here, let’s do this. I’ll ask one silly question, and one serious one, alright? What’s your favorite color?”

“Um...red I guess…”

“Are you safe at home?”

“N-no…”

“Would you rather fight a bug-sized tiger or a tiger-sized bug?”

“Umm...bug-sized tiger. I could squish it by stepping on it!” Altyn giggled quietly.

“You’re doing great so far.” Calliope smiled warmly. “Did you get that bruise from someone?”

“Y-yes.”

“What’s your favorite flower? Mine is the daffodil!”

“Ummm...I like daisies.”

“Did your husband or boyfriend do that to you?” Upon hearing the question, Altyn immediately went tense, confirming in Calliope’s mind everything she needed to know.

“P-Please don’t go after him, i-it’s not a big deal! Other people have it worse!” Altyn begged. Suddenly, a voice boomed in the small alleyway.

“ALTYN! WHERE’S MY FOOD YOU USELESS BITCH?” The figure approached. In an instant, Calliope had her rapier to his throat, and a fistful of his shirt in her other hand.

“Listen well you pathetic worm, that’s not the way you talk to a lady” Calliope hissed. “If I ever see you anywhere near Altyn again, may the gods have mercy on you. Because I certainly won’t.”

“Wha—who the hell are you? Let go of me you whore!” the man blustered.

With a blindingly fast attack, Calliope struck his temple, and down he went. Altyn began crying softly.

“Hey, hey, hey, shhh it’s alright now. You’re safe. It’s okay” Calliope murmured softly. “Is it alright if I touch you? I just want to hug you.” Altyn nodded. Kneeling to the ground, Calliope gently embraced Altyn, rubbing her back comfortingly as she sobbed into her shoulder, clinging for dear life to her shirt. 

“Whatever he did, you don’t have to go through that anymore. You’re safe from him now, I promise.” After a few minutes, the tears had subsided, and Calliope stood up.

“Well then,” Arsène stated awkwardly “I suppose we better drag this sad sack off to prison?”

“Umm…” Altyn began “I don’t have anywhere to go, I lived with him and he owned the apartment…”

“Well my friend, you’re in luck! There’s a town not far from here, called Orrinshire. In the town, there’s an inn called “Colony Nine”, which just so happens to be owned by a person who owes me her life. But that’s a story for another day” Arsène declared proudly. “Now then, Calliope, help me carry this man, he’s rather heavy.” 

And so, they arrived at the city prison, and explained their situation. Their testimonies, along with a wizard’s lie detection spell, meant that Altyn’s husband would not see the light of day for an unfathomable amount of time. With that taken care of, the trio set off for Orrinshire, a brief hour’s walk away. Upon arriving at Colony Nine, Altyn began to have second thoughts.

“Umm...is it really alright that I stay here?” Altyn asked nervously.

“It’s perfectly alright! Like I said, the owner owes me a favor. If you’re worried about being a burden, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to hire you and have you help out. You’re still young, and you’ve got new paths in life now. You had a bit of a rough start, but think of this as a new beginning” Arsène replied.

After introductions and a brief explanation of the situation, the innkeeper was happy to accept Altyn as a new employee and unofficial daughter.

“Well then, I suppose we ought to head back. The others are probably wondering where we are.” As they set off, Arsène couldn’t resist the opportunity to crack a joke.

“You know Calliope, you reminded me a bit of my mother back there. They say her death glare could pacify even the mightiest of dragons” said Arsène, with a devious grin.

“Don’t make me use it on you, Arsène” replied Calliope, without taking her eyes off the path.

“Yes ma’am!” said Arsène, giving a mock salute.

Calliope sighed deeply. “Arsène, you’re a real pain in the ass sometimes.”

“Only sometimes? Ow! Alright, I probably deserved that one.”

“I do have a question for you, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Go right ahead.”

“How come you were so quick to follow me on my personal crusade? You could’ve easily stayed behind to tell the others.”

“Like I said, you reminded me of my mother. Ow! I promise this time it’s not a joke! She was a retired adventurer, who loved sticking her nose in other people’s business if it meant she could help someone in need. I saw her in you, and I knew that there was nothing I could do to stop you. I suppose the reason I went along so easily was to honor her legacy in a way. To remind myself that there are good people in this world, who will go out of their way to do good for others. That’s why I followed you.”

“Your mother sounds like an incredible lady. Maybe I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“Indeed. Now then, let’s look for the others. I hope Ferris hasn’t gotten too drunk yet.”

“That’ll be the day!” said Calliope, rolling her eyes.

“A man can hope, dammit!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This was the longest chapter so far at 1,245 words, and strangely enough most of it was written in one sitting. Inspiration strikes at strange times.


	6. cliché (Luna)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arsène gets stood up at a restaurant, but meets someone new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title song this time is cliché, by mxmtoon! I thought it was fitting, because the chapter concept is cliché, but the gender roles are a bit different. This isn't exactly canon, but I liked the concept a lot and so I wrote an alternate meeting between these two. Not a very long chapter, but hopefully a cute one!

The restaurant was quiet that night. No waiters and waitresses buzzing about, taking and bringing orders to all the tables. No chefs shouting in the kitchen. The clinking of glasses and idle chatter formed a pleasant stream of sound. In the center of the room sat a romantic table for two, and yet only one seat was taken. His eyes anxiously scanned the room, his foot tapping up a storm. His ears were strained, listening for the sound of the door, desperately hoping it would be her. It never was. The minutes ticked by, slowly eroding what little hope he had left. A waiter approached, with pity in his eyes. 

“Sir, are you ready to order?” he asked.

Arsène was no fool. He knew she stood her up, but his pride prevented him from admitting it. And so, he replied with a strained smile. “Just a few more minutes, thank you.” 

He knew it was a hopeless affair. People had been staring openly for a while now, some having the gall to murmur “poor boy” to themselves, as if he could not hear. Then suddenly, the door opened once more. She was a fellow high elf, not just in name only, as Arsène was quite sure she had more than a few inches on him. She wore a lovely dark violet dress, with a simple yet elegant silver necklace. 

Upon entering, she made sure to speak just louder than strictly necessary. “I'm quite sorry my dear, I got thoroughly lost before I thought to ask for directions”. As she approached the table, she leaned in and whispered to him, “My name is Luna Gideon, whoever stood up such a handsome gentleman is a real bastard.” At first, he wanted to tell her to leave, play it off as a lover’s quarrel surfacing in the restaurant. But when he noticed that people had stopped staring, he quickly changed his mind.

“My name is Arsène Tempest, nice to meet you” he replied quietly.

As she sat down, he gave her his first genuine smile of the night.

At first, it was rather awkward between them. They were two complete strangers after all. Eventually, the ice was broken by a simple “What’s your favorite color?”. It took some time, but eventually they began to move on from small talk, graduating to relaxed conversation, and appearing as if they were old friends to the other patrons of the restaurant. Now, the time seemed to pass comfortably again, not torturously slow as before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You know, you didn’t have to do that. But you have my sincerest gratitude.” Arsène said with a warm smile.

“Nonsense, a lady never leaves her knight in peril!” Luna replied with a giggle. “And you are quite the adorable knight if I do say so myself.”

To which Arsène replied by blushing furiously and stammering out a “Youlookbeautifulaswell.”

“Well then, this is my house. I had a wonderful time tonight, and if you’re willing, I’d love to take my charming blushing knight out again sometime.”  
“O–Of course!” he stuttered.

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, not bothering to look back as she already knew the man’s face would be bright red.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I'm doing so constructive criticism is welcome!


End file.
